
Chapter One.
Chapter Two.
Chapter Three.
Chapter Four.
Chapter Five.
Chapter Six.
Chapter Seven.
Chapter Eight.
Chapter Nine.
Chapter Ten.
In a cramped, tobacco‑filled studio, a weary painter confronts his own failing career while his young muse, Jill, listens with a mixture of admiration and dread. He confesses that his unfinished canvas may be his last work, aware that his weakening health will soon leave Jill to face the world alone. The dialogue reveals a bond forged through years of bohemian struggle, where art has been both sustenance and burden.
Undeterred, Jill vows to turn the studio into a place of learning, planning to teach and sell her own pieces to keep the legacy alive. She wrestles with grief and the practical realities of bills and a solitary future, yet her resolve shines through as she cleans the dust‑laden models and confronts the emptiness of the unfinished painting. The opening sets a poignant picture of love, sacrifice, and the stubborn hope that art can endure beyond its creator.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (243K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England
Release date
2011-08-29
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
b. 1875
A prolific early-20th-century novelist, this English writer built her stories around romance, adventure, and the lives of British settlers in southern Africa. Her books were widely read in their day and often drew on the places and tensions of South African life.
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